Speaking to ANI, Shringla said maritime and defence security remained the most important focus areas of Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic engagements with key Indo-Pacific partners.
“When we look at Prime Minister Modi's tour of Indonesia and Australia, we should see it along with the Japanese Prime Minister's recent tour to India. In defence and security, we have connected with three very important partners at the highest levels and finalized a lot of agreements,” Shringla said.
He highlighted that maritime security and defence cooperation were major components of India’s engagement with Japan, Indonesia, and Australia. He said India and Japan reached an agreement focused on maritime security and defence, while similar strategic cooperation is being expanded with Indonesia.
Shringla said the latest visit to Australia resulted in the finalisation of a joint defence agreement that would strengthen naval cooperation between the two countries.
“Regarding Australia, in the tour that has just concluded, a joint defence agreement has been finalised, which will increase cooperation in the naval area for both sides. Interoperability will increase, our training and joint exercises will increase, and there are many other areas where Australia, Indonesia, and Japan can move forward in the entire field of defence and security,” he said.
He also highlighted the completion of the uranium agreement with Australia, saying the arrangement had moved forward after remaining inactive for several years.
Responding to criticism from the opposition, particularly the Congress, that the agreement was initiated in 2011 and was not a new achievement, Shringla said the India-Australia civil nuclear agreement was signed in 2011 but did not progress further until recent developments.
“The India-Australia nuclear agreement was made in 2011, but after that, there was no progress. It remained where it was. Now, during Prime Minister Modi's Australia tour, it has been finalised that we can get uranium from Australia. The deal has been operationalised and the issues that were stuck in the middle have all been removed,” he said.
Shringla said uranium supplies from Australia would begin for the first time, describing it as a significant development for India’s strategic energy security.
He said India has been working for several years to secure uranium access from Australia and that bilateral relations have expanded substantially since 2014 across defence, security, natural resources, coal, and other sectors.
According to Shringla, uranium has now become an important component of India’s strategic security plans as the country aims to expand its nuclear energy capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047 from the current level of 8 gigawatts.
He said India requires reliable uranium supplies to achieve this target and that while the country receives uranium from several nations, accessing resources has involved challenges. He credited the successful completion of the Australia agreement to Prime Minister Modi’s visit and his strong relationship with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Shringla further said the developments were significant from the perspective of the Quad grouping, as Japan and Australia are key partners in the framework.
He said cooperation with Japan and Australia in defence, security, and other areas has been advancing rapidly following a recent foreign ministers’ meeting, while the United States would continue to remain an important partner in the grouping.
Adding Indonesia to the strategic framework, Shringla said India now has a strong defence and security partnership network with Japan, Australia, and Indonesia, which plays a crucial role in the Eastern Indian Ocean region and supports India’s Indo-Pacific, Act East, and Security and Growth for All in the Region policies.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Auckland, where he was welcomed by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The two leaders shared a warm embrace following his arrival.
The series of high-level engagements with Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand underline India’s expanding strategic outreach in the Indo-Pacific region, with maritime security, defence cooperation, and energy security emerging as key pillars of its international partnerships
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